per aspera ad astra

Updated Flower Cards for Dru and Ash by the spookily talented Cassandra Jean!

I love you!

Ash as your Parabatai?

Kit: Is that the guy Emma and Julian said they had to leave behind in that other dimension because he didn't want to come to our world? Seems like a weird choice.

I love you!

my mom

my family

Dear Dru,

Hey, baby bat! So how’s Shadowhunter Academy? Still having a good time? How’s the roommate — Thais, isn’t that her name? How’s having a roommate? I always kinda wished I’d gotten to go to SA, although obviously the weather was better in California. But you like things dark and gloomy! Just, you know – try to get some sun sometimes, okay? While I know you love your ghostly pallor, vitamin D is a real thing.

Not that we’re getting any sun here in Chiswick, where England is being fully England with the weather. I guess it goes with the house, though. You’re going to love this place when you see it, by the way. It’s the most goth building you’ve ever seen. The whole place is full of crumbling statues and faded wallpaper with creepy stains and a LOT of these dark brambles—

Huh, I guess it makes sense there are a lot of black thorns at Blackthorn Manor. Still, they’re a huge pain to cut back. Why didn’t your ancestors go with something less pointy? This was owned by Lightwoods for years, why no light woods? We may never know.

(I always forget about the Lightwoods because I think of it as Blackthorn Manor but I found a diary of a girl who grew up here, hidden under one of the floorboards. Like way back in the 1870s. She’s just a normal Shadowhunter teenager of the time, complaining about boring history lessons and obnoxious older brothers. Normal stuff! She’s about 13 in the part I’m reading but it goes for a few years. Her name was Tatiana Lightwood, I wonder if Isabelle and Alec have heard of her?)

Anyway, Jules is working hard on de-spookying the place, but trust me, it’ll still be gothier than a ripped fishnet whenever you get to see it. It’s going to be ages before we’re done with all the hallways full of empty birdcages and decaying books. This house is big. And extremely busted.

Also . . . haunted. At first I think we were both in denial. It was just weird moving shadows, cold spots in places — if this was one of your mundane movies, we’d still be arguing about what was going on. But we’re Shadowhunters. We know ghosts exist. And we finally broke down and admitted to each other that there’s definitely one in this house. Somebody’s moving small objects around and playing the piano off in the distance… low, haunting bits of sweet music we can both hear. But here’s the thing — the only piano here isn’t even playable. It rotted through a long time ago.

So, we have a ghost. But they don’t seem definitely or even particularly hostile. It could just be a bitty poltergeist, or a passing unquiet spirit. I’ve just started going through papers and it’s obvious Some Stuff Went Down Here at some point, lots of weird references to demons and bindings. (Oh, I’m putting a thing aside for you, it’s a taxidermied raven covered in flowers, I think it used to be part of a really extra hat.) So the potential for unquiet spirits is definitely there. One more thing to deal with along with the need for all new drains. (What, exactly, are drains?)

Anyway, I can’t wait to see you and oh no, I spent most of the letter telling you about the house but I really do want to hear about the Academy and your roommate and teachers, like is Catarina there? What about Ragnor? Have you seen Jaime lately? Tell me everything!

XOXO

Emma

PS I just found out who Tatiana Lightwood thought was the cutest boy in London. Will Herondale. Wasn’t that the guy Tessa was married to, a long time ago? Would she think this was funny? I mean, it’s kind of funny. Always a Herondale, you know?

“In the end it had been Christopher, looking more frightened than he had during the demon battle, who had offered to take Grace back to Chiswick in his carriage-”

““Christopher - was everything all right, dropping off Miss Blackthorn?” He tried not to sound as if he were too invested in the answer. Matthew raised his eyebrow but said nothing. “Oh, perfectly,” said Christopher. “I told her all about culturing bacteria, and she was so fascinated that she never spoke a word!””

Christopher is simply an icon and no one can change my mind about it

““Miss Blackthorn! Miss Blackthorn, what happened?” It was Christopher Lightwood, of all people. Grace knew him mainly as Jame’s friend; he seemed the least alarming of the three.”

“Christopher laid a hand on Grace’s arm and began to steer her from the room. Normally Grace heartily disliked being stressed, but Christopher did it in a kindly, not a domineering, sort of way. “Are you all right?! he said as they reached the staircase. “I was startled,” Grace said, which she supposed was truthful enough.”

“The chapel doors opened a crack - everyone looked up, but it was not Cordelia; it was Grace, escorted by Christopher.”

Well, at least Christopher isn’t afraid of her anymore ;) 

and she thinks he’s kind (which he obviously is!) <3

“She stepped inside - and jumped. There was Christopher Lightwood, perked in the corner on a wooden stool, turning a peculiar object over in his hand. What is he doing hiding in a corner? she thought furiously. Couldn’t he sit at the table like a normal person, where she could have spied on him properly?”

“- when Christopher turned and blinked at her. “Oh! It’s you,” Christopher said with his usual sunny smile. “I thought it might be rats again. Hullo, Grace.””

““But - aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing here?” Grace asked, approaching the worktable. “Why would I do that?” Christopher seemed genuinely puzzled. “You’re affianced to Charles - surely you have a right to be here.””

““Would you like a quick tour of the laboratory? I dares it’s the best-equipped scientific workshop in London.” Grace was nonplussed. She hadn’t compelled him to offer her the tour; he’d come up with that on his own.” 

“She didn’t like using her power, really, she thought, as he led her a series of shelves containing tiny jars full of colorful substances and started telling her about a table of chemical elements…”

“She didn’t quite follow, but she surprised herself by wanting to know more as he talked about the purpose of various objects and instruments, the experiments he and Henry conducted, the things they discovered. Grace was reminded of the time he had given her a ride homeroom a picnic last summer during the demon attacks. He’d told her then about his love of science without being the least bit condescending, as her male admirers often were, or self-important in the way Charles always was. Christopher treated her as an equal whose enthusiasm for science was not only similar to his own but unsurprising.”

“Christopher blinked his unusual violet eyes. “Just because it looks like a stele doesn’t mean anything - especially if its purpose was meant to be disguised for some reason.” “Hold out your arm,” Grace said impulsively.”

“She touched the tip of the pithos to his skin and hesitated, suddenly unsure of herself. She momentarily wished she had used her powers on him; she was sorely in need of the confidence they would bring her. Slowly and awkwardly, she drew the enkeli rune, the rune most Shadowhunters learned to draw fist. Angelic Power.”

““This Creation rune here on your arm,” she said. “Are you terrible fond of it?” “No, not really -” Grace took the pithos and, with the tip, traced the Creation rune on Christopher’s arm. He watched her with interest, and then some surprise as the Creation rune shimmered - and vanished. Christopher’s eyebrows shot up into his hair. “What ho,” he said, sounding pleased-”

““No, I mean-” Grace wished she hadn’t said anything. “I only meant that you didn’t seem surprised to see me out a rune on myself.” “Why would I be?” Christopher asked, obviously confused- “You’re a Shadowhunter. It’s what we do.” Grace’s heart sank- Now Christopher probably thought she was completely peculiar - and for some reason, that bothered her.”

“Christopher gave her a sheepish grin. “I’m still in the early hypothesizing phase of my investigation.” He gestured excitedly as he talked, his hands - covered in stains and burns and scars - slicing the air.”

“Suddenly he stopped, looking stricken. “I’m sorry, Grace, this must be tremendously boring for you.” Grace gathered that boredom was the reaction Christopher was accustomed to from most people. But Grace wasn’t bored, not in the least. She wished he would keep talking”

“Very well,” Christopher said. “I am in your debt for helping me discover this device’s purpose, and happy to oblige.”

I have so many thoughts on this scene I’m probably going to do a separate post about it, just imagine me squealing and jumping up and down while reading this

Also, next to him being a huge science nerd, Grace seems physically attracted to Christopher, too : D

I think this is the only time we actually see Grace self-conscious 

But Grace, confoundingly, seemed to see Christopher clearly. Talking to her had been so easy that he’d forgotten to filter everything he said, going over it to make sure it would come out right before speaking. He would tell anyone about her sneaking into the lab, not until he’d had more time to think about it.”

“- not the way Grace seemed to be. She’d been so eager to look through the microscope at the gunpowder compounds he’d been studying; so curious to see the contents of his journals. But it was silly to dwell on it. Grace would likely never visit the lab again. It was too bad - many great discoveries had been made by teams working in tandem. Look at the Curies, who had just won the Nobel Prize for their experiments with radiation. Perhaps if he told her about the Curies…”

Aaaaand Christopher likes her too <3

I’m so ready for a Shadowhunter science duo 

So, any ideas what kind of scenes I should filter out next? Also, please tell me your opinions, theories, etc, about this lovely pair! I’d love to read them<3